Recovery
by YuXin
Summary: Yamamoto is a major league baseball player, but he is injured during one of his games. He decides to get a pet to keep him company while he recovers. Little does he know, Gokudera will change him more than he ever bargained for. Yama/Goku AU
1. Brother

**Summary: Yamamoto is a major league baseball player, but during one of his games, he's injured. He decides to get a pet to keep him company while he recovers. Little does he know, Gokudera will change him more than he ever bargained for. Yama/Goku AU **

**Warning: Lots of cussing, because Rain is a big pottymouth. *washes mouth out with soap***

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the participants in the Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Sausage fest. ;_;**

Yamamoto had never intended for this to happen. He was overcome with regret, and as the bright lights flashed by overhead on the rush to the ER, his chocolate colored eyes filled with fear. If only he had not made that last save...Then maybe his career wouldn't have been risked like this. His semi-unconscious gaze shifted to his now useless right arm. The entire forearm was covered in blood, and his elbow was bent in an unnatural direction. He glimpsed a sliver of white bone jutting out from the bloodied flesh before he blacked out from the pain.

* * *

Squalo paced back and forth restlessly at the foot of his younger brother's bed. As soon as he'd gotten the call regarding Takeshi's incident, he'd cancelled his kendo match and flown all the way from Japan to see him. And boy...was he going to kill him.

"That dumbass...He thinks he can just get beaten to a pulp...and not win?" Squalo's pacing stopped abruptly when the man on the bed stirred. The doctors said the baseball player wouldn't awaken for another few days, but Squalo knew Yamamoto was an extraordinary man, if anything.

Soft brown eyes fluttered open, and Squalo's heart skipped a beat as they landed on him.

"Squalo...what are you doing here?"

Yamamoto could barely register that he was in a hospital bed before a fist connected with his left cheek. The force of Squalo's punch sent him flying into the other wall.

"You stupid asshole!" His long haired brother shouted. "I had to cancel one of the most important matches of my life so I could come here just to send you through a fucking wall!"

Yamamoto's head was spinning and his vision was clouded with stars, but nevertheless he was overjoyed to see his brother. "Squalo! I haven't seen you in forever!" He grinned.

"Che..." The older brother's rage dissapated at the younger's warm welcome. "Get back in bed before those stupid nurses make a fuss."

When things had calmed down a bit after the nurses _had _made a fuss, Squalo decided it was time to get serious.

"How could you lose?" Yamamoto's smile faded. "I thought we agreed...no matter what, neither of us will ever lose a fight. Did you forget, stupid Takeshi?"

"I didn't forget." Yamamoto's expression was unreadable, his brown eyes blank. "But when I was rushed here...I wondered..."

Squalo waited for him to continue.

"Is this really worth it? Every game, I go out there willing to give my life to win...But every time I do that, I'm putting my entire career at stake. If I ever got seriously injured, I could never play another game of baseball again...This time was just a fluke, you know? I could have broken more than just my arm. Think about it-"

Yamamoto was blasted onto the floor once more by Squalo's fist of fury.

"Dammit Squalo-!"

"So you would rather lose? You'd rather sit at home, full of regret after losing? After letting your teammates, your fans, and your dreams down? You once told me that you would dedicate your life to the game. Have you gone soft?" Squalo kicked the downed Yamamoto full force in the gut.

"If you're that kind of weak, limp dick coward, then you are no longer worthy to be called my brother." Squalo's voice was full of contempt, and his eyes were burning with rage. He aimed another kick at Yamamoto, but his good arm flashed out and blocked the kick.

"...I would rather die than let my teammates down." Squalo grinned. This was more like it.

At that moment, a team of nurses rushed in and attempted to drag Squalo away. "Sir, we're going to have to ask you to leave. We already gave you a warning, but you are continuously disrupting the order in this building, and Mr. Yamamoto is unable to rest properly!"

Squalo easily held his ground against the weak nurses. "Man up, Takeshi. The next time we meet, you better not be sniveling like a sissy loser!" With those final words, he allowed himself to be led out of the room.

Yamamoto picked himself up, wiped the blood off his lips, and grinned. "Thanks, bro."

* * *

A/N: Umm, this is my first fanfic, OTL so bear with me; I don't even have Microsoft Word for this, so I'm reduced to writing with Notepad. I know Yamahobo is OOC, and it seems like a SqualoxYamamoto so far, but it is not so! *shot* Will the rating go up...? Mayyybe. ;o;

Up next - some 1827 (Hibari-Tsuna)


	2. Friend

Yamamoto was discharged early from the hospital due to his "remarkable recovery" as stated by the physician. Although he still had three months of recovery and an awkward cast wrapped around his right arm. Squalo had left as soon as he'd been banned from visitor hours by the hospital; with a letter to his little brother.

_"If you pussy out again, I'll kill you!"_

The letter had made Yamamoto chuckle, and he mentally thanked his brother for the encouragement.

Sitting at home though, the temporarily downed baseball star soon found that he wasn't meant for idling. Usually he could be found out on the field, practicing with his teammates, or at the very least he'd be playing a video game with his friend Tsuna.

But with his one arm handicap, and a doctor's order not to over exert himself, Yamamoto Takeshi was stuck in his lonely three story mansion with a tv remote and a bowl of popcorn.

His cellphone rang suddenly, and Yamamoto stretched out to reach the sleek black device on the coffee table. Clicking the green button, he answered.

"Yo!"

"Hey, Yamamoto!" Tsuna's concerned voice greeted him. "I heard about your accident! I'm sorry I couldn't visit you in the hospital, I was in Milan dealing with some...business...Are you doing okay?"

Yamamoto grinned, he was always happy to hear from his closest friend. "Naw, it's fine, Tuna fish! What's going on? I'm bored out of my mind over here!"

"H-hey, don't call me that! Anyways...Do you think you could come over right now? I've got something interesting to show you!"

"Well sure, I'd love to! But...I can't drive." He looked at his clumsy arm with mock contempt.

"Haha, yeah I know, I'll send over a limo. See you soon!" The line clicked to inform Yamamoto that Tsuna had hung up.

* * *

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna's warm honey brown eyes sparkled when he saw him. He leaped forth and wrapped his arms around the taller man, and smiled. "I'm so glad you're okay. You look good..." The brown haired man leaned back to examine the other.

"Hehe...you too Tuna! What was it you wanted to show me?" Tsuna's smile widened. "Come on, over here! He's so cute, you'll love him!" The brunette took Yamamoto by the hand and led him into a large room. Almost instantly Yamamoto's vision was filled with a flash of black, and something solid was shoved against his chest.

"Whoa!" The man overbalanced and sprawled onto the floor. He grabbed a nearby lamp pole and prepared to swing it at the attacker, only to freeze in his tracks.

A tall, lean man with jet black hair pinned Tsuna to the carpet by his wrists. At any different time, Yamamoto would have knocked the man clean off of his friend, except for _one...small...nagging detail._

A long black feather duster sprouted from the raven haired man's rear end, and it wagged uncontrollably from side to side. _Wait...it looked surprisingly like...a tail?_

Now that he took a good look, the man wasn't assaulting Tsuna- but eagerly licking his face and neck.

"H-hey stop that! Hehe!" Tsuna was beaming and giggling like a child.

"Stupid- Master- If I wasn't so- Excited to- See you- I'd Bite you- To death!" The man said in between licks. His gray eyes danced with excitement, and a set of limp black ears flopped around on top of his head.

Yamamoto dropped the lamp in shock. _Clunk_. The sound of the lamp hitting the floor reminded Tsuna that there was another man in the room.

"O-oh...right. Yamamoto, this is Kyoya. Kyoya, my friend Yamamoto." Kyoya's eyes narrowed at the other man, and he pulled back his lips in a forced smile, revealing pointy canines.

"It's nice to meet you. If you hurt my master, I'll bite you to death." Yamamoto felt a chill run down his spine, but he cracked a smile nonetheless.

"Don't say stuff like that Kyoya!" Tsuna picked himself off the ground, and brushed off his jacket. He turned to Yamamoto. "Sorry, I still haven't trained him yet..."

Yamamoto grinned. "Haha, what the heck?"

"Yeah...I think I've got some explaining to do." _Boy, do you ever._

* * *

A/N: During this part, Hibari's KIIINDDD of in character, but because he's still a dog, he can't control himself...^^; More explanation in the next chapter!


	3. Captive

"So let me get this straight. Kyoya is a German Shepherd hybrid that you hired to protect your mansion?" Yamamoto's eyes were stretched wide in surprise.

"Y-yeah...I think that's it." Kyoya licked Tsuna's ear in agreement. "Hehe..."

"Haha, great! You hired a bodyguard from a cosplay company!" Tsuna face-palmed. Same old Yamamoto.

"They're a new technology; called Anibrids." Tsuna scratched behind Kyoya's ears affectionately, and the canine's leg twitched involuntarily. "Right now they're being developed to serve as guards, but mostly they're sold as pets."

"Wait a minute- sold?" Something inside Yamamoto stirred uncomfortably, and an unreadable, dark expression crossed Tsuna's face.

"Yeah." Yamamoto could tell that his friend was also disgusted by the idea. "When the wrong people get a hold of them, they're sold as slaves. There was a leak of Anibrids a couple months back, and the authorities are trying to stop the illegal trafficking now."

The black haired man made a sound of disgust.

"Tell me about it." Tsuna's lip curled, and he wrapped an arm around Kyoya protectively.

The two men and guard dog chatted for another few hours, getting well acquainted and friendly. Towards then end, Yamamoto's natural charm won Kyoya over, and the German Shepherd's frequent death threats diminished.

"Anyways, do you think I could borrow your chauffeur for the night? I haven't gone shopping yet, and most of the stuff in my fridge has gone bad." Yamamoto smiled guiltily, a bit ashamed of having to ask for a ride.

"Oh, sure thing! I've got a couple, anyways." The honey-eyed man laughed, and glanced at the clock. "Wah! It's so late already! Hurry up and go before the shops close!" The brunette ushered Yamamoto to the door, and Kyoya followed behind, watching his master closely.

To be honest, he had taken quite a liking to the idiotic baseball player, and was a little sad to see him leave. "Yamamoto, if you don't come visit, I'll bite you to death."

"Haha! Of course I'll come visit, Kyoya! Now, be a good bodyguard and protect my friend Tsuna, alright?" The brown eyed man patted Kyoya's head, turned around with a last wave to Tsuna, and drove away in the limo.

Kyoya turned his attention to Tsuna, and was surprised by the expression upon his face. Tsuna's eyes were narrowed fondly, and his lips were pulled up in a dreamy smile. The Anibrid German Shepherd growled softly. Suddenly, Yamamoto Takeshi wasn't Kyoya's kind of guy.

* * *

"Thanks, Richard, you can just drop me off here; I know the way back, and you should probably be getting home to your family right about now." Yamamoto gathered the plastic grocery bags on his good arm, and shut the limousine's door behind him, waving bye to the kind chauffeur in the chilly night air.

The walk home was another good twenty minutes, but Yamamoto wasn't the kind of guy to inconvinience others; especially people like John, who had a family waiting at home.

Plus, he appreciated the chance to get a little exercise after being pent up day after day. He looked up at the stars and shivered involuntarily. The nights got pretty cold where he lived, not to mention the route he was taking was through a particularly...seedy part of town; but despite being handicapped, the black haired man was probably capable of taking care of himself in a dangerous situation.

Yamamoto had only been walking on the unlit sidewalk for a few minutes, when a shifting shadow between two buildings caught his attention.

"Who's there?" He instinctively raised the grocery bags, ready to defend himself. The shadow moved again, and Yamamoto heard a soft cackle.

The hair on the back of his neck tingled, and he lashed out with his left arm, striking his attacker squarely in the nose. The other man gave a yelp, and skittered off.

Yamamoto's breath was shallow; his senses told him that the danger had not passed. Picking up a mid-sized rock, he pivoted to pinpoint the source of the murderous intent.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from the shadows and pulled out a strand of his hair. Yamamoto inhaled sharply, and flung the rock blindly in the direction of the hysterical laughter that now riccoched off the brick walls in the alleyway.

He scowled. _They were toying with him._

Yamamoto prepared another rock, but as he leaned over, the murderous intent disappeared.

"...Dammit." He exhaled. "What the heck was that about?" Bending over, he picked up any loose items that had fallen from his bags in the scuffle.

Just as he was turning to leave, Yamamoto's sharp ears picked up a muffled mewling sound coming from behind a shadowed dumpster. He paused, listening, and after a moment he heard it again. It sounded like...

Curiousity got the better of the black haired man, and he crept cautiously towards the noise, wielding a bruised apple in his left hand. At first he couldn't see anything, but as his eyes adjusted he could just barely make out the form of a nude man leaned up against the wall. His hands and feet were bound, and a tight gag prevented him from crying for help.

The man's eyes stretched wide when Yamamoto came into view, and he mewled louder. Yamamoto leaned closer, trying to get a better look in the dim light. The captive squealed in fear and attempted to scoot away from him.

"Hey...it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you." He extended a hand to show the man he meant no harm. However, the other man took hospitality for hostility, and fainted from fear.

"Jeez...how troublesome!" Yamamoto whipped out his cellphone and dialed Tsuna's number, praying that he was still awake.

* * *

A/N: Yayy even after 3 chapters Gokudera's name hasn't even been mentioned yet! \o/ *shot* R-reviews make me happy? ;u; *shot for being greedy* T_T


	4. Cat

Tsuna sighed and slumped back in the driver's seat. He was exhausted. Just as he'd been getting ready to retire for the night, Yamamoto had called, frantically asking to be picked up.

"And from a random place, no less!" Tsuna yawned, and turned a corner. He was getting closer to the location Yamamoto had described. "I wonder what he was doing here, anyways...Richard should've brought him home by now, right?"

Normally, Tsuna would have sent one of his hired drivers to retrieve Yamamoto, but something in his friend's voice discouraged him from doing so. He turned one last time, and his GPS alerted him that he'd arrived. He stalled the engine, and opened the door.

Yamamoto materialized behind Tsuna, scaring the shit out of him. "Hieee! Y-Yamamoto, what the heck?"

The dark haired man grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Tsuna. Can you give me a hand?" Now that he took a good look, Tsuna could see that Yamamoto stood over a man's lifeless form. The body was naked and covered in nasty bruises and cuts.

A cold chill swept over Tsuna's body, and he half-stepped backwards involuntarily.

"Y-Yamamoto, is there something you should be telling me about?"

"Well...I was walking home, got jumped by some psychos, and then found a naked guy behind a dumpster." The brunette gave a sigh of relief. So his best friend wasn't actually a rapist murderer in disguise.

"Let's put him in the car, then, and we can figure stuff out back at my house." Yamamoto agreed, and together they lifted the man into the vehicle's back seat. The car's headlights cast just enough light so that they could see what they were doing, but everything else was a blur.

* * *

"Wah!" Yamamoto practically dropped the man as they stepped through the doorway into the lighted house. "H-he has ears!"

"Well obviously he has ears, Yamamo-...oh." Tsuna, who held the top half of the man, hadn't gotten a good view of his head until now. The man's hair was pale, and trailed all the way down to his waist. On top of his head sat...a pair of silver cat ears. Tsuna dipped his head lower to check out the man's rear end, and a bushy silver tail confirmed their suspicions.

"A-Anibrid?" The two men exclaimed in unison. The man's second set of ears twitched slightly, and his eyes fluttered open, revealing the most beautiful teal eyes Yamamoto had ever seen.

"Ah!" The cat Anibrid exclaimed suddenly at the realization that he was being held. He flailed his arms, catching Yamamoto across the face, who flinched and dropped the man's legs; As if using only one arm to carry half the weight of a full grown man wasn't enough. The silver haired feline wrestled out of Tsuna's weak grip and attempted to get around Yamamoto to escape out the door, but the baseball player was expecting it. He spun around and slammed the door shut.

The Anibrid had no escape, between Tsuna and Yamamoto. He bristled defiantly, baring sharp fangs, eyes wildly darting between the two strangers' faces.

Yamamoto put his hands up cautiously and murmured softly. "Calm down, kitty, nobody's going to hurt you here." Tsuna did the same.

However, the man still didn't believe them. He flattened his ears against his scalp and snarled. "That's what they all say!"

"Oh. You can speak." Yamamoto said stupidly.

The Anibrid's tail lashed from side to side. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm not some animal, you know!"

"O-of course you're not!" Tsuna replied. "Anibrids are still humans, which is why we won't hurt you, okay?" The man seemed to relax slightly, but his tail continued to twitch hyperactively.

"What's your name?" He hesitated, but seemed to decide that a name couldn't hurt anything.

"...Hayato. Gokudera Hayato."

"Gokudera..." Yamamoto tried the name curiously.

"What?" The cat snapped.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, I was just trying your name..."

"What the hell! If you're going to say my name, at least say it for some reason!"

"Haha, sorry, sorry!" Yamamoto smiled guiltily. Gokudera's last trace of hostility had disappeared, so Tsuna took the opportunity to offer some hospitality.

"U-umm, Gokudera, then...I'll get you some clothes...and something to eat?" The feline blushed slightly, seeming to notice for the first time that he was nude and nodded curtly once.

Together they led the man to the living room, where they sat him on the couch with a blanket to cover himself with. Tsuna hurried off to find clothing and food.

* * *

The Anibrid sat silently with Yamamoto, staring at the floor in front of him, seemingly lost in thought.

"So..." Gokudera looked up sharply at the other man's voice.

"What." he spat.

"Whoa, whoa. No need to get snappy, kitty, just trying to make small talk." The 'kitty' shot him a venomous look.

"Call me that again, and I'll kill you!" he growled.

"Haha, sorry, sorry! Anyways...I was just wondering...what were you doing behind that dumpster?" Yamamoto eyed the cat curiously. The other man's extra set of ears twitched in irritation.

"What did it look like, idiot?" Gokudera snarled, his lips curling back. "All I remember is waking up to your ugly mug."

However before the baseball player could comment, Tsuna walked in with a tray and some clothing, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, I had to make the food myself, since the cook isn't on duty right now...I hope it's not too bad..." Yamamoto stifled a grin. Tsuna had "cooked" intstant ramen.

Gokudera, however, just grabbed the tray and began digging in ravenously.

"And the clothes are some of Kyoya's, since I'm not exactly your size..." the brunette continued. The cat looked up with a curious expression and a mouth full of noodles, as if to ask '_who's Kyoya?'._

Just at that moment, the young canine Anibrid poked his head into the room.

"Master, did you call?" Kyoya's eyes drifted slowly from Tsuna's shocked expression to the surprised face that belonged to the other Anibrid in the room.

"Cat." Kyoya said. And then he pounced.


End file.
